Guardian of the Light
by DayDreamerInTheSky
Summary: After Ordon Village is ravaged by an unknown force, Link is forced to move into Hyrule Castle Town. Him and Zelda hold a strong friendship, but after Link is named a royal knight, he discovers he was the reason his town was burned to ashes and seeks to destroy the evil force that threatens Hyrule...but mainly,he must protect his beloved Zelda, which means failing is not an option.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from _The Legend of Zelda _games, cartoons, series or anything of the sort. All rights go to Nintendo and their respective creators.

Prologue

The Past of Ordon Village

"Be still, Link. We're almost there."

Rusl's words were breathless, yet reassuring, as we rode his horse through the burning houses of what used to be the Ordon Village. He had thrown a blanket over my head, as if to shield me from the sight of the chaos that was unraveling, but I could still smell it. I could still hear it, the crackling fire and the horrible scent of smoke, of burnt flesh. I gripped my blanket tighter when I heard a terrifying scream in the distance...it was a woman's shriek.

But then everything went still and quiet.

There were no more screams, no more crying...I did not dare to peek out of my blanket, but as I shut my eyes tightly, I could feel something inside me change, I didn't feel the same. I felt...dead.

I didn't know what had happened, all I was aware of was that I was playing out in the forest, trying to single-handedly catch a fish when a roaring sound came from the village. It didn't sound like the booming sound of trumpets when the Royal Family came to the village; it certainly did not sound like the explosion of the fireworks from the Kakariko Carnival. It sounded like a massive bomb had blown up just a feet away. I suddenly had a gut wrenching feeling that something was very wrong and I became aware that I was alone in the outside of the forests, with only a makeshift wooden spear in my hand, which I was using to try to capture fish in the nearby river.

A second explosion hit the village and I snapped out of my fright and ran as quick as I could to a rotten trunk of a tree, where I hid feeling terrified. I did not know how long I had to wait in there, but it felt safer to me. I closed my eyes and silently whispered prayers to the Great Goddess of Hyrule, Hylia. Something told me I needed to help my village, but I couldn't move. My legs felt heavy and my heart was increasing it's rate. My instinct yelled at me angrily for being a coward, but I was just a boy then. I knew I needed to do something, but I was too scared to face what that something was. I asked the goddess to help me decipher what I should do..._Tell me, just tell me what I should do and I will do it...whatever it is you ask of me_...

Almost immediately a soft voice whispered in my ear: "_...See."._

It was all the motivation I needed to run out of my shelter and head towards the village, never minding the fear that surged through my bones. Ever since I was little I was taught the most important value I held to my heart: never break a promise. I had always obeyed the law of the prayers.

As soon as I stepped into the village, I became aware of the reality that was occurring. During those minutes I made sure I closed my heart, ears and sight to it, but as I looked around the village, I found the terror I had always tried to keep away from my nightmares. I did not have the time to take in the full sight, for Rusl appeared as if from nowhere and tried to snap me out from my reverie. It was enough time for me to observe what the contrast between what was black and red. There was fire everywhere, there were shadows of people sloped on the ground...lifeless. I could see burned bodies from cattle and goats. I saw living humans trying desperately to put out the fire that was burning their skin. I could hear infants crying and mothers trying to protect them. I saw blood, fire and a dark cloud of smoke spread throughout what I called home. I could hear screams and groaning, but soon all sounds were gone. I could only see the fire burning, but there was nothing left to burn.

Rusl grabbed me by my arms and turned me to him. He looked deeply into my eyes, as if trying to determine if I registered what was happening. Whatever he saw in my eyes made him call out to his horse, who came galloping heavily, rising ashes from the ground.

I did not know where Rusl was taking me, but I knew with him I was safe. He would take care of me like he always had. He had rescued me before, so it was no doubt that he would stop at nothing to keep me safe.

We rode for Din knows how long until I heard the voice of men telling Rusl to halt. I could feel the horse drop down it's speed and to a stop, but I did not dare to open my eyes. They had been closed since Rusl saddled me to his horse. I wrapped the blanket that I still had over my head even more tightly around myself and hugged Rusl even tighter. I did not understand the words of the men talking outside until one of them shouted:

"What is that you carry with you?"

Rusl threw over me a protective arm over my shoulders.

"It's a boy! I'm not aware if he's injured though, but he's under my supervision, he's my responsibility. Please, good sirs, I need to get him to safety!" Rusl shouted back to the men. His voice cracked and sounded short-winded. I became suddenly worried that maybe he was the one injured and I hadn't noticed.

I heard the men talk to each other and debate.

"It's a child? Men! At ease! We need to take these two to safety. Check them for injuries at once! Milo, take the man's horse and treat him too, in case it's also injured. Put him in the Town's stable. He'll be safe there." said one of the men. By the way he sounded, so authoritative, I inferred he was in charge of the men gathered there.

"Where should we take them, sir?" asked one of the men.

After a quick moment of deliberation, the man said: "Take them to the castle. The King will know what to do."

I felt someone besides Rusl grab me and stead me on the ground, but my legs were shaky and weak, and instantly I collapsed on the floor. Rusl shouted my name and proceeded to run to my side and put his arm under my shoulders; he pushed me against his side. "I'll walk him." he said to the men.

"Is he alright?" asked one of them. He had a squeaky voice and a small lisp.

"Link, are you alright?" Rusl asked me in a hushed voice, but I didn't want to talk. I was afraid I might explode screaming and shouting everything until I felt no more. I responded by holding onto his arm.

"...He's fine. You'll be alright eh, Link? You're okay...you're a brave boy, Link. You're so brave." he said quietly to me. I felt a sting in my eyes, as if tears were threatening to fall, but I held them back as hard as I could. This was not the time for breaking apart.

I still had my eyes closed, but from the movement across the road, I could feel they had situated us on the back of a carriage. I could hear horses galloping up front, but what I had noticed the most was that I could no longer smell smoke. I smelled...tulips. Flowers? Were we on the castle's grounds?

Rusl and the men, who I figured were guards of the castle, kept a steady conversation during the ride.

"What's your name?" asked one of the guards.

"I'm Rusl, this is Link. He's only seven..." he said while caressing the top of my head through the blanket. I kept my eyes shut.

"Is he your boy?"

"No. I found him lost in the forest a few years back when I was hunting. I think he was four by the time."

I heard the guard get closer to me, and I recoiled into Rusl.

"Hello, there Link. Don't be scared, we'll take good care of you here."

I remained quiet, but I mentally thanked him for his words.

"...he doesn't speak much, does he, Rusl?" said the guard.

"No, he never has."

"Is he...mute?"

"No, he isn't. He speaks when he needs to." answered Rusl with a hint of annoyance.

There was an uncomfortable silence for the next couple of seconds. The guard never spoke again.

"Rusl, sir. Do you have any idea what caused the attack to your village?" asked the guard with the squeaky voice. He sounded like a nice person, like someone who took his job seriously.

"I really hold no clue as to why this has happened. There was no threat during these past days. Everything seemed normal, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Me and some of the older men in the village kept watch every night for intruders, but there hasn't been a disturbance in years. At least, none that topped what happened tonight." said Rusl. The way he spoke seemed deep in thought, almost absentmindedly.

"Were there...did you happen to see any other survivors?" asked the guard warily.

"N-...I didn't notice."answered Rusl, tightening his grip on my shoulders.

There was an unspoken conversation between the guard and Rusl, but I had no intention of finding out what it consisted of. I wanted to shut off everything, my ears, my mouth, my smell, my mind... every sense. Where were the other villagers? There were more than 40 people living there. Elders, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters, children, pets...what happened to all those people? There had to be other survivors. These people were family to me; they fed me when I hungrily wondered away from home, they allowed me to sleep in their beds if I was weary, they would ask for my assistance in any chore and offer a reward...These were really nice people...they deserved to live. Yet, I knew the probabilities were low. I just held on to the hope.

There were no other questions asked from the guards, but we arrived in less than a few minutes to the castle. I felt the carriage cease to a halt, and Rusl lead me out until I hit the ground with my feet. The soil felt soft, like grass. There were crickets chirping and I could hear a river close by. Was this the castle? It sounded so nice. I had always thought the castle was a mansion full of bricks and nothing else.

Rusl kept his right arm around my shoulders and led us through some metal gates that I heard open. The sound scared me, I tensed and shut my eyes forcefully. Rusl felt my reaction.

"Don't worry, Link. We're safe here. We're in the castle."

As if on cue, the gates closed dramatically behind us. I heard every sound of locks secure the gates, as if to really assure us of our safety.

I heard heavy footsteps in front of us and Rusl and I stopped walking.

"Sir Rusl, is it?" asked a deep masculine voice. I don't know why, but the sound of that voice immediately made me let out a breath I had not known I was holding in.

I felt Rusl kneel, so as a reaction to his movements, I knelt too.

"There's no need to do that, sir Rusl. There are more important things to care about." said the man's voice. "That goes for you too, child."

Rusl had told me once that we never kneeled for anyone, just for the royal family. So with a gulp, I acknowledged that this man was the King of Hyrule. He spoke to me directly, and as if I couldn't control it; I shot upright, standing up straight facing the voice. I wanted to open my eyes to see how the King looked, but I did not dare. The last images I had seen were so troubling that I never wanted to open them again.

"What an obedient boy." said the King with a light tone. "How old is he?"

"He is seven, your majesty." answered Rusl. He sounded nervous to me. _That's odd,_ I thought.

"Ah, he's so young. The things he must have seen...this is terrible..." mused the King, but his tone changed. He sounded more aware, like a flame suddenly had lit in his mind.

"Your majesty...?" asked Rusl concerned.

"Forgive me. It's just...I have a daughter of my own, you see. She is only six years old. She's a handful but...I would not forgive myself if she ever encountered the things this brave boy has. I can only imagine the hurt he is feeling." said the King woefully. "I noticed he hasn't said a word...he has barely dared to uncover his face. Is he alright?" he asked.

"He is fine, my lord. He's never been one to speak much, but he hasn't dared to open his eyes since I found him in the village." said Rusl sadly.

"Did he...see?"

"...I believe so."

I didn't want to be here. I wanted to run off, somewhere dark...maybe a cave I could hide in for the rest of how long I lived. This conversation wasn't serving me well, it only made the images in my head burst alive.

I felt the heavy footsteps of the King walk in my direction and he crouched a feet away from me.

"His name?" he said, referring to Rusl.

"Link, my lord."

"Link..."

He put his heavy arm on my left shoulder. He felt like a big man, judging by the weight of his hand.

"Link. I do not know you. I do not know the things you have seen. I do not know the burden that is in your heart, but Link...I give you my word, I will take care of you. Never should you fear, for I will be here to guard you. The one thing I know is that you seem to not wish to ever behold sight again, but just as I promise to guard you, I also promise there are beautiful sights to lay your eyes upon, sights that are even enough to erase this memory. Now, take your time, but remember my words. I will be here for you." he said to me soothingly.

I felt the tears I was holding back begin to emerge from my eyes. I grabbed the blanket that still laid over my head and stiffened a sound.

The King removed his hand from my shoulder and gently patted my head. He stood up and addressed to Rusl.

"Sir Rusl. I see...there are things we need to look after with you. If Link doesn't mind, of course, I will ask my guards to escort you to the infirmary. You...must take care."

I didn't know what the King meant by this, but he sounded concerned again. I was worried that something was wrong, until Rusl crouched beside me, his right arm still around my shoulders.

"Will that be fine with you, Link? I promise I'll be with you first thing in the morning."

I shuddered involuntarily. I hadn't noticed it wasn't morning yet. How had all of this happened so fast? And why did Rusl have to go to the infirmary? Was he hurt?

As if he had read my thoughts, Rusl spoke to me peacefully: "I'm fine, Link. It's only a few scratches I have to get treated for. Remember what I always say, right Link? A gentleman always keeps his word."

I hesitated for a few seconds then nodded. Again, I wanted to open my eyes to see him, but I couldn't. It didn't matter if he had just a scratch, all I would see in him were the images of black and red.

"Hold on, Rusl. Can I ask a few quick questions before you leave? I won't take long."

"Your majesty, with all due respect, we asked him questions on the way here, but he did not witness anything." said the guard with the squeaky voice.

"With all due respect, dear knight Shad, my questions for Rusl are much different than yours. Their concerned deeper things that Rusl may be able to answer."

Klin, the guard, shuffled his feet and muttered an apology.

The King addressed me once again.

"Link, I will be back shortly. You will be left alone for a couple of minutes, but I'll come back for you. Guards, please close the door behind me."

With that, the King, Rusl and the guards walked away from where I was still left standing. The doors roared closed and I was left there alone, breathing the air of the castle by myself. I had the intense curiosity of knowing where I was standing...was this a hall? I could hear the echo when the King spoke, but I did not know which room this was. But yet, I kept my eyes closed. The King said I could take my time opening them...he said there were better things to behold...things enough to erase what I had already seen.

I was attentively aware of any sound other than what seemed to be a mist coming from outside. When did it start raining? But my thoughts were cut short when I heard some very small footsteps approaching me. I recoiled and shut my eyes as tight as I could. I did not want to see, no matter if what approached me was good or bad.

The footsteps seemed short and tentatively. They fell when they reached a few feet away from me, but I did not know in which direction.

"Hello there..."

W-what? The voice sounded so sweet and pure, like an ocean's breeze. I had never heard anything so peaceful. My already tense body instinctively slouched forward and I squeezed my brows. This sounded like a little girl. What was a girl doing running around in the castle at night?

"You're under there, I can see you." said the girl. What a sweet voice she had. I was breathing heavily, though I did not know if it was from fear or anxiousness.

"I overheard my father say something had happened in the Ordon Village...do you know anything about that?"

There was the name of my residence again. I tensed even more.

"...Are you okay?" the voice turned from curious to strongly concerned. I wanted to answer her, to tell her I was okay, but my throat was closed. It hurt to swallow.

"...you won't talk... I want to know if you're alright. Please...answer me..." I heard her take a step towards me. I wanted to move, but my feet failed me.

"...Can I take this blanket off your head, at least? I want to see how you are..if that's alright..." _No, please don't, _I wanted to tell her. I wanted to say many things, almost as much as I wanted to open my eyes to see who this little girl was.

She stepped closer, and I felt her hand reach the top of my head, but without actually touching me, she managed to grab a handful of the blanket I had on top. For the first time for what seemed days, I felt the cool air of the night slam against my face. I heard the soft fabric drop to the floor and the girl gasped.

"Y-...you're just a boy...I-..." she paused and gulped.

I frowned worriedly. I almost opened my eyes to see what she was seeing that caused her so much distress.

"-you're hurt!" she whispered softly.

_I am?_ I asked myself. I didn't feel any injury, but I did not dare to question her, since she was the one looking at me.

I heard the ruffling of fabric and then felt something press against my cheekbone. I tried holding back the gasp that threatened to come out, mostly because whatever it was had hurt me. I hadn't noticed I was hurt. It stung me quite a bit.

"Its...just as small cut...you'll be okay..."said the girl in a low voice.

As soon as she started cleaning my wound, an unknowable feeling of peace washed over me. My heart slowed it's rate, my muscles relaxed a little more and I felt warmth over my face, ears and hands. The fabric she rubbed on my cheek smelled sweet, like caramel, and soft, like the scent of tulips. My body went from being recoiled to feeling unlaced in a matter of seconds.

Who was this girl? Why had she such an effect?

I did not care for the answer, but aside from the King's and guard's generosity, this girl had provided me something that I had not known I needed...comfort.

"My name is Zelda, by the way...I'm...I'm the King's only daughter."

_Zelda... Princess Zelda..._I remembered Rusl mentioning her name, but I had not known..._Zelda..._I had not opened my eyes still, but I felt incredibly attached to this girl. She was the princess, yet she sounded and felt so gentle and caring...she felt like...spring. And her voice...it entranced me. She made me feel like I was home...I wanted her to keep listening to her voice.

"...you don't have to talk or open your eyes...but you can trust me." said Zelda, sounding somewhat disappointed but understanding at the same time. She was still rubbing the small piece of fabric to my wound, which stung less now.

I exhaled deeply and recollected the King's words: there were things worth a glance. Might as well let it be the girl that had come unknowingly to my rescue.

I slowly opened my eyes, and I felt a slight pain in them as I got used to the light in the castle, but the pain was soon forgotten once I focused on the small frame of the girl standing a few paces in front of me.

_Zelda..._before I hadn't opened my eyes I had known about her that she was sweet and caring by the sound of her voice, but her face...She was pale in skin, with a slight blush in her cheeks. She seemed so...alive. Her long, dark blond hair was braided by her side and it shined with the castle's indoor lights. When my eyes reached hers, I suddenly forgot my curiosity for how the castle was built, or in what room we were located. We could have been in a cave, and the light Zelda discharged would've been just as strong to light the whole place. Her eyes were a bright grayish blue... a color I had never seen before. They were big and full of emotion. She gasped silently when I opened my eyes to her, but I could not see anything but her.

"...Link...m-my name's L-Link..." I tried to say, but my voice sounded so strange to my ears. It was so forced and coarse, like I was choking, but it seemed worth it when Zelda looked directly at my eyes and let out a small smile.

"Nice to meet you...Link." she whispered.

The King happened to be right. There were things that were meant to be beholden. I would never again close my eyes after gazing at Zelda. She made sight worth having.

A/N:So this is my first story ever written. I've been meaning to write a Zelink fanfic since...ever, but I hadn't the inspiration to actually finish it. I wanted to make the compromise and stick to this one! English is my second language, which I'm majoring in, but feel free to leave a WELL constructed criticism and review of what you think and let me know if I should write more. I'll be improving my writing skills as I go along, but the characters will stay the same.

This story isn't based off of any game or story line I did LOVE the design of Skyward Sword, mainly because they made Zelda seem real and not some secondary character that annoys you with having to rescue her...again. They made her likable like they did in OoT and at the beginning of MM. Zelda and Link actually held a bond in this game, which made it a whole lot more interesting. Hey, Nintendo even added a sweet little unspoken romance between the two, which I'm sure us Zelink shippers didn't mind AT ALL. Yes, I write in captions to emphasize my point, sort of a little inflection.

Well, that's enough for an A/N. Let me know what you think! But I will foreshadow a few things before ending: the story is rated M for a reason, so you know where I'm taking this but I'd like to develop a more profound relationship between them before suggesting anything else. There's plenty of action and adventure coming up, with a little bit of humor and angst. This first chapter was only an intro to the actual story, so you knew what was going on later! Hope you guys enjoyed!


	2. Bonds Made with Destiny

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! Did you know you're amazing? I sure as heck think so! Thank you so much for your reviews and views. I'm so, so sorry I took so long to post the first chapter, but as I reviewed the prologue I found a lot of errors that I didn't notice, which made me want to hit myself repeatedly with a stick...to the face. So, I wanted to be extra careful with this chapter and try to avoid any sort of spelling horrors. I'll be more careful from now on, and being careful takes a little bit longer. Also, my college mid term exams aren't helping with my writing.

As for this chapter, I decided to try writing from Zelda's POV. Whenever the POV changes, I'll let you know at the start of the chapter. Make sure to leave a review and you can even write a few suggestions regarding style, spelling, anything really. Hope you enjoy this one!

Chapter 1

Bonds made with destiny

Zelda's POV

This was a bad idea. I did not, even remotely, approve of this. It was this sort of situation that made me want to use my princess privileges to ban all sort of training that may leave a wounded novice behind. I'd rather stay indoors and not hear the sound of swords slamming against each other, or the sound of huffing and puffing those poor trainees had to suffer through. I've always told Pipit he was pushing the boys too hard, but he always argued that "with hard training we turn boys into men".

I knew how harsh Pipit's workouts were. He'd make the trainees run for five to ten miles everyday, not to mention that in sword training they used real iron swords, so they got hurt every once in a while if a swing was given out of control.

"You worry too much." Karane's voice snapped me from my worries. I didn't know she was standing right behind my library desk, where I had been sitting for the past two hours. I placed my head against my crossed arms and, as Karane approached, I didn't bother to turn around and look at her. "Really, Zelda. You're gonna grow wrinkles from worrying so much. I'm serious, I've seen it happen." continued Karane talking in a bored drawl.

Formalities towards the Royal Family had been abolished by my father. He believed that everyone should be treated with the same respect, commoner or royalty. He thought all living beings must be treated with the same honor and loyalty. Personally, I liked it better this way; I scorn being titled "princess" or "your majesty"; those names sound so superior and pompous, I found the words repulsive; but still, some residents of Castle Town insisted to call us by those names.

"Zelda?" Karane sighed. "Are you even listening to me?"

I frowned and turned my head to face her.

"Yes, Karane. I heard you, but how am I supposed to let this go so easily? You've seen how hard Pipit is with his pupils. Some of them have been seriously hurt before, including you."

Karane looked at e with an impish smile, but I saw her move her hand and grasp the sleeve of her knight uniform, which covered a nasty scar she received in the training grounds.

"Zelda, I was trained in the same field and with the same instructor Pipit was trained. Pipit isn't nearly as rough on his pupils as Instructor Hornwell was on us! And they were trained by your father, who didn't make things too easy, either." said Karane while rolling her eyes. I knew she had a point there, but I still kept my ground.

"You have seen Fledge, haven't you, Karane? The poor boy can't even complete a task without hurting himself." As soon as I said those words, I immediately regretted them. Fledge was a poor example of what I meant; he was clumsy and alarmingly prone to accidents.

Karane, of course, raised an eyebrow at me.

"Really, Zelda? Fledge? That's your argument? That "poor boy" you talk about needs to grow a back bone if he wishes to become a Royal Knight. Pipit grounds him by carrying barrels, which he believes will toughen him up, but Fledge won't keep the Royal Family safe by carrying barrels! He can't even lift a sword, for goodness sake."

"He's a good person, Karane." I said disapprovingly to her.

"Being a good person doesn't help when you come across an enemy, Zelda."

"And does being violent help make Hyrule a better place to live in? It might make it safer, but creating killers is not what my father aimed for when he created this academy, Karane. That much you know."

Karane opened her mouth as if she wished to reply back, but no sound came. Instead she turned away from me.

"I'm sorry, Zelda, but even the skies know your main concern doesn't lie on Fledge." she said this with an inflection in her voice that assured me she was hiding a smirk.

"Excuse me?" I asked defiantly. "My main concern are the group of anxious boys on our camp grounds that are afraid to lose their limbs in a practice sword fight!"

"Yes, with a special concern towards one in specific."

Of course, I knew what she meant. This rumor had been around for as long as I could remember. Ever since Link and I had met each other that night in the castle's hall, rumors had spread that I was overly fond of him. Yes, I admit he is a handsome young man, well educated, charming and respectful, but my feelings for him weren't more than an immense sentiment of friendship; I want the best for him and would do the impossible to see him happy. He is my closest friend and I value his friendship more than any other affair royalty could offer me. He has never been a man of words, but his actions spoke the words he would not say, and judging by how he has shared with me these past eleven years, I'd dare to believe he felt the same way.

What puzzled me was the fact that I could not deny that what I felt for him was intense, it was a strange urge to make sure he's alright, that nothing hurts him, but this seemed so difficult to explain to uncultured minds. They would mistake the feeling for romantic love. Though, I do admit his eyes intrigued me and his smile provoked a reaction that pulled some of the happiest chords held in my heart.

Karane cleared her throat.

"Its so obvious, Zelda."

"We've spoken of this before, Karane. I won't argue this nonsense again." I told her as I stood up from my desk. I walked towards a shelf to put back the book I had been reading, but Karane followed my steps.

"Not only am I your guard, Zelda; I'm your friend too. The connection you two share is way more powerful than the one I share with Pipit." said Karane with a slight disappointed tone reaching her voice.

I narrowed my eyes at her again.

"The connection you and Pipit share is nonexistent, Karane. He barely acknowledges you."

I regretted my words as soon as they left my mouth. That was a low blow. Karane lowered her eyes to the floor sadly.

"W..w-well, I've been meaning to speak to him...but he's been so busy training the boys that he hardly has any time for distractions..."

I opened my mouth to apologize for having said such a rude statement to her but I was interrupted by a soft knock on a nearby shelf.

"Excuse me, princess Zelda. The King beckons you at the main hall." said one of the oldest guards of the castle, Milo. He was in charge of the horse stable in town and had been promoted by my father to elder of the Royal Knight Academy. He counseled soon-to-be knights in any situation that summoned his help. Milo was very taken with Link. He said Link was "an unbloomed deku nut waiting for the right drop of rain".

I nodded at him.

"Thank you, Milo. I'll be there in a moment." I told him kindly.

Milo only smiled and slowly walked out to wait for me at the entrance of the castle's library.

Karane was still standing behind me with an unfathomable expression in her face.

"Karane...What I said was completely out of line. Forgive me, I didn't mean-..."

"It's okay, Zelda. You don't have to apologize. You've always spoken with the truth...it's only fair. You're the princess."

"Princess or not, it was harsh thing to say. You take your time and speak to Pipit when you feel ready to do so. No good thing comes out of making decisions based on a rush." I said to her trying to sound sympathetic. I bid her goodbye and walked out to meet Milo, who was clutching onto his wooden cane as he waited for me in the hallway.

"Milo, thanks for waiting for me. You're such a gentleman. Sie is a very lucky woman to be your wife." I told him truthfully. I hold a deep appreciation towards Milo. He is so wise and he spoke the most powerful words I've ever heard a man of his age speak.

"Ah, thank you, princess Zelda. A man is nothing without a great woman by his side. I consider myself even luckier to have found such a wonderful woman such as my Sie." said Milo smiling widely, his wrinkles stretching all the way into his forehead.

"That is very sweet of you to say, Milo. I will always wish to feel that way about my future husband if we get to be your age."

Milo laughed.

"The key to a well lasting marriage is to always smile and tolerate every single flaw your partner has.

Any differences can be settled with conversation. " he said as we walked down the corridor.

"Sounds like a very good idea to me, Milo. There's a few people in this town that could use the advice." I smiled at him.

"Well, I've already passed on my knowledge to the students at the academy. Hopefully they'll convey it well. I don't want any sort of misunderstandings of what I just told you. Imagine the chaos. " he laughed heartily. "Link was the first one to hear my speech, and he was very attentive, but I swear, that boy lives with his head in the clouds. I wonder what goes on in that mind of his."

I joined his laughter, but his mention of Link reminded me of what I was worried earlier.

"By the way, Milo, do you happen to know if the training lessons started?"

"Yes, I believe I saw them running through the southern camp a few minutes ago." said Milo as we reached the entrance to the main hall. "Why do you ask, if I may be so bold?"

"Oh, I just wanted to speak to Pipit before the training started..." I answered. "Did you, by chance, see if Link was around?" I asked warily.

Milo was thoughtful for a brief moment.

"Now that you mention it, I don't recall seeing him. That's odd, the rest of the boys were there. He must have overslept."

"As usual." I added morosely. It seemed my tone made Milo let out a loud laugh and stomped his cane on the ground.

"I'll go search his cabin, princess Zelda. You go on ahead and find your father." said Milo as he turned away from me.

"Wait!" I walked over to him and stepped right in his path. Milo looked at me confused. "Can...can you tell my father that I'll be there in a moment? I'll look for Link and speak to Pipit at once." I told Milo, who still looked confused.

"What must be so important you feel the need to find Pipit rather than your father? Remember, if you have any sort of nuisance regarding the academy, I'm the headmaster. I can help you if you need any sort of clarification." said Milo while he frowned.

"I only need to ask something of him. I won't take long, I promise."

Milo looked at me suspiciously but nodded.

"Alright...I'll talk to the King. Don't dally too much, you know he dislikes wasting time."

I beamed at Milo and turned around to run for the gates.

"I promise I'll be here soon!" I shouted as I ran.

"Alright! Don't run so fast, now! Try not to get hurt this time, princess!" he shouted back at me, his echo bouncing through the main halls' walls.

I ran outside the gates, quickly saluting the guards that stood vigilant and ran towards the south camp ground, where Link's cabin was located.

I slowed down as I reached his hut and quickly took notice that Epona was in the stable, which meant he must be home. Every time Link went out to practice, he made sure he left Epona free to roam the woods located behind his cabin.

Stepping into the front of his porch, I knocked lightly at his door. After waiting for several minutes and not receiving a response, I peeked through the sides of the cabin, but his drapes were shut. It wasn't a big place to live in, but it suited him just fine, or so he said. I once offered him a better place outside of the castle's grounds, since Rusl and him were horse trainers in town, but Rusl insisted that Link stayed in the castle. He believed it was safer for him, but now that Link is nineteen, he's able to make his own decisions. It seemed he liked living in the castle, since he had never said a thing about wanting to move away. Not that I minded, of course.

I knocked on his door a little louder and that's when I heard shuffling inside. A loud thump unlatched the door and it squeaked open. I softly pushed the door farther and peeped inside, but just as soon, the door burst open and a sleepy Link came unto sight. I straightened up to look at him more clearly, but he kept blinking away his sleep.

I folded my arms and looked at him disapprovingly.

"Well, good morning, sleepy head."

He stared at me for a moment but instantly woke up when he saw me. He scratched the back of his head and smiled apologetically.

"...you're aware you just failed a day of training, aren't you?"

Link winced and sneaked a glance at a nearby clock hanged on his wall. His eyes widened and he ran to his shelf to put on his boots, tripping on the way.

I sighed. Link had always been somewhat irresponsible, but I could never get mad at him. Just as he was irresponsible, he was sweet, kind and incredibly respectful.

I walked into his cabin and reached for his sword and wooden shield. The shield looked as if it had received one too many swings, yet for some odd reason the sword looked as good as new. I turned around to walk over to where he was sitting on the floor still lacing his boots. I kneeled down and handed him his items, but held on to the shield.

"Link, do you need a new shield? This one looks atrociously beaten up." I told him while looking at the shield with a shady stare.

Link raised his eyes to look at the shield I held in my hands and then leveled his eyes with mine. He smiled warmly and shook his head.

"It does the job perfectly the way it is." he answered politely.

Eleven years of being his friend and his voice never ceased to catch me off guard. He spoke so little that sometimes I'd forgotten how it sounded. He had a deep, boyish voice that matched perfectly to his personality.

As always, when he spoke, I stayed quiet for a few seconds then smiled at him.

"As you wish. But, remember that if any equipment you hold is a bit off date, don't hesitate to ask." I told him as I stood up and offered him my hand to help him rise.

Link smiled widely at me again and reached for my hand. I pulled on his hand as strong as I could and he lifted to his feet. He was thin and lanky, so he didn't weigh much but still, I knew that it only seemed as if I had enough strength to get him to his feet, when in reality I knew he had done it by himself.

He let go of my hand and dusted himself off. I heard the sound of horns in the distance, which meant that the training had been moved to another field, and I suddenly recalled why I was there.

"What are you going to do? Pipit will murder you for being so tardy." I asked Link as he accommodated his shield and sword at his back.

He looked at me momentarily but turned his gaze to the floor. A thought apparently crossed his mind because he snapped his eyes back at me and reached for a small whistle he had on his desk. Link moved forward and grabbed my hand, where he placed the whistle and gave me a command.

"Let Epona out on the fields. I'll look for her when I come back from practice." he told me firmly. He walked backwards towards the door. I looked at him confusedly and questioned him with my eyes about the whistle. Link smiled. "If Pipit makes me stay until late in the grounds, with all due respect...can you please make sure that Epona gets safely back into her stable?"

I nodded a promise and walked out to his porch. Link gestured goodbye to me and as he ran past the stable he fondly spoke to his horse: "I'll see you later, Epona!"

I sighed and closed his cabin's door. I knew Pipit would ground Link by making him do something challenging but this time I would actually agree with Pipit. Link had always managed to either be absent or arrive late to his training, so I figured a well grounded penalty would maybe straighten him up.

I rushed to Epona's stable and opened her gate. It calmly stepped out of it's confinement, which was clean and tidy (Link always made sure it's living conditions were suitable) and I reached to pat her snout. It leaned into my hand but it didn't surprise me, we had always gotten along. I walked Epona out of it's stable and patted slightly it's back to let it know it could run off. It neighed majestically and ran quickly into the woods, disappearing between the dense trees.

I held my ground for a moment, to see if she for some reason returned, but she never gave sign of walking back, so I turned to run in the direction of the camp grounds when I saw a figure mounted on a horse strutting over to where I was.

"Princess Zelda?" asked a male voice I immediately recognized.

"Pipit!" I skipped over closer to where he and his horse had stopped.

Pipit was a strong young man, filled with honor and responsibility. He loved to dress in his knight uniform which, by the time he had been admitted as a Royal Knight, was colored yellow. We had always had our share of arguments because of his strict ways, but I was fond of him. He was a remarkable man.

"Princess Zelda, what are you doing in the castle's grounds? I thought the King had summoned you to the main hall." He asked while he frowned. He didn't climb down of his horse.

I squared my eyes at him and answered with the most convincing voice I had mastered.

"Could you please refrain from calling me "princess"? And I'm aware I was to be in my father's presence but Milo told me he hadn't seen Link at your training lesson, so I came over to look for him and make sure he was alright."

"No and yes , that is true. He failed to report this morning so that's why I came all the way to his cabin. Is he there?" Pipit asked turning his gaze up to Link's cabin.

I shook my head at him.

"No, I found him a few minutes ago; he was rushing to your lessons but it seems he still didn't make it in time, did he?"

"Not even close. Princess Zelda, do you realize that this is, probably, the fourteenth time he has failed to show up for training? I'm surprised Milo hasn't expelled him from his courses." said Pipit with an accusing tone to his voice.

I didn't know how to respond to this so I merely just inhaled deeply and let my eyes fall to the ground.

"I know you're his best friend, Princess, but it needs to be acknowledged that if he aspires to be a part of the Royal Knighthood, he must learn discipline, which clearly isn't his strong point." continued Pipit. He sighed heavily. "He's my best friend too, but if he continues with this attitude, he's not going to be admitted into the knighthood, and it worries me because he has so much potential...have you noticed his shield, Princess? It is severely damaged, want to know why?" he asked. I frowned and shook my head. "Because he'd rather defend than to hurt. He barely uses his sword for attacking, he uses it to defend form powerful strikes given by the opposite side. He has never hurt one of my pupils, and that alone impresses me. It's like Link lives to protect rather than to attack."

This confused me. I had always known Link wouldn't hurt a fly, but to know that he had put himself in danger rather than to attack mercilessly his mates was admirable.

"This is why I want to train him so badly...because I know he has a great future as a knight. He could serve the Royal Family well." said Pipit kindheartedly. "I wonder if this is what Link truly wants, after all. I haven't really asked him if he wishes to be a knight...what if he wants to be something else?" Pipit stopped talking and seemed pensive.

I had no response to his statement because I hadn't asked Link myself. The whole kingdom believed that the main goal to all children was to be a Royal Knight. They weren't asked what they wanted to do, they simply enlisted them, no matter if they held the skills or if they didn't.

"Pipit, I need to go to my father but please, I must ask you to be gentle. At least consider changing the iron swords you use to wooden ones; you've seen Link's shield. Take it into notice." I told Pipit almost pleadingly.

He sighed and reached to take off his hat respectfully.

"I understand your concern, Princess. I will do my best to follow your words."

I smiled.

"Thank you, Pipit." I turned my back to him. "And please, stop calling me Princess. The mere word sounds disgusting and painful to me."

He laughed loudly and put his hat back on.

"As if, Princess. I'll do anything you ask of me but you can't take the gentle out of gentleman."

I rolled my eyes and as Pipit parted towards the eastern training camp, I tried my best to run as fast as I could to reach the main hall.

The guards opened the gates and I thanked them for their amicability.

My father was waiting by his throne and the large main hall was covered with people. I'd forgotten that once a week my father held a convention in the castle to hear out the town's people, in case of any urgency, trade or claim.

As I walked through one side of the hall that was left empty to walk, I saluted a few of the town's folk that I'd known for my entire life. I stopped to look at my father and waited for him to attend the claims of a woman that held a basket filled with fruits to him.

"Is this what you wish to trade, Marde?" I heard my father say to her.

"Yes, King Gaepora. This whole basket is meant for tradin'." Marde was a rather large woman with a heavy drawl to her voice.

"What do you wish to trade for?" asked the King.

"I would like two cuccos: a male and a female are preferred, my lord." replied Marde.

I saw my father flinch a little at being called 'my lord'. He hated being called royal names as much as me, but as he told me once: he'd already told the people there was no need for formalities, but if they did not listen, I will not say it again.

"Alright. Two cuccos! Who wishes to trade for a basket of beautifully colored fruits?"

There were a few farmers that stepped forward and the guards escorted them to a corner so they could settle the trade.

"Next claimer, please!" yelled one of the guards.

I rushed to my father's side and knelt by his side to speak to him.

"Oh, you finally arrived, Zelda. There's too much people here, it's hard to think. I've asked Milo to take care of some of the town's folk outside." said father.

I smiled warmly at him and he replied back with a smile of his own.

"Is there anything you want me to do, father?"

He thought for a moment and looked towards the crowd with a morose expression.

"I'm sorry to put you through this, Zelda, but I need you to take care of this person by yourself. I'm growing impatient with this fellow."

I narrowed my eyes questioningly and followed his gaze.

My breathing stopped short and I had to resist the sudden urge to grab a sword and face this man that stood no less than twenty feet of me.

"Not him again!" I whispered with a breath full of frustration.

A/N: There. A little cliffhanger. I apologize if this chapter was a bit boring, but from here on the story gets better. This was just an introduction to the characters...and a cliffhanger to another. Let me know if you liked Zelda's POV. She's a lot different than Link, because she sees things from a more...sensible POV. She's a lot more happy and peppy than Link. I hope you will notice during the story.

Also, I'm making arrangements so I can post at least twice a week. And if any spelling (or syntax) errors slipped, please feel free to correct me. I'm a growing writer and don't really mind being called out. Thanks for reading!


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